Drier



Nov. 4 1924.'

T. H. RHOADS DRIER Filed Oct.

fw M? 36 Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

UNITED STATI-:s

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. RHOADS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 PROCTOR &

SCHWARTZ, INCORPORATED, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TIoN 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

t DRIE'R.

Application filed October 5, 1922. Serial No. 592,595.

Z '0 all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. RHoADs, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Driers, of which the following is a speciication.l .l

.l My invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for drying articles, particularly ceramic articles, such as bath tubs, glass pots and hollow sanitary ware. The invention can also be used for drying enamel ware; stone ware; and terra cotta.

My improved apparatus is designed to carry out the process-for which application for patent was filed by Elwood B. Ayres on the 27th day of July, 1922, under Serial No. 577,899.

One object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for drying hollow articles so that the interior of each article will be thoroughly dried.

A further object of the invention is to design the drier so that the air currents will 'be directed across the open ends of the articles to draw the moist air from the interior of the articles, which air is replaced by a certain amount of heated air in circulation.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of my improved drying apparatus; Y'

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are transverse sectional views illustrating modifications of the inp vention.-

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is the casing of the drier enclosing two drying chambers 2, 2 and a central chamber 3 located between the two drying chambers. -In this central chamber is a series of fans 4 mounted on vertical shafts 5. Each vertical shaft is driven by a transverse shaft 6- through 'bevel gearing, as shown in Fig. 2. The several shafts 6 are belted toa driving shaft in the manner shown clearly in Fig.1. It will be understood that the arrangement of the driving means may be modified without departing from the essential features of the invention. y i

In the central 'chamber 3 is a series'of heating coils 7, which heat the air in circulation to the proper temperature.` -8 lare perforated pipes for the admission of water.

9 is a temperature and humidity controlV desired. These tracks extend from one end of each chamber to the other end. The drying chambers are provided with suitable doors, or with curtains, for closing the ends. In the present instance, curtains 15 are provided at each end, which are rolled within casings 16. Casings 17 are providedintermediate of the ends in which are rolled the partitions 18 shown by dotted lines in Fig. .l

1, which separatethe drying chambers into independent compartments.

By the arrangement hereinbefore described, the dryingapparatus can be divided into compartments and the temparature and humidity of the air in circulation in the different compartments can be independently controlled.

' ,y Mounted on the rails are carriages 19 having wheels 20, as shown in diagram in Fig. 2. 0n each carriage are mounted the article or articles, a: to be dried. v The article in the present instance is what is known as a glass pot. These pots are of considerable size and the opening is very deep. It is difficult to dry the interior of the article-by the ordinary drying apparatus-as the slowly moving heated air will not enter the interior of the articles. x

Between the cars are horizontal partitions 21, which'd'ivide the lower passage from the opposite passage in each drying chamber. The bottom 22 othe central chamber 3 has a projecting'rib 23. 'The bottom is curved from these ribs towards the lower portions of the drying chambers, as shown clearlyin Fig. 2. At the upper and lower outer corners of the ,drying chambers are curved deiectors 25 and 24. The air in circulation travels inthe direction indicated by the arrows, Fig. 2.` The air is drawn into the central chamber by the fan throughjthe upper -portion of the dryingv chambers and is forced by the fan under the partitions 21 to iosthe outer ends of the drying chambers. The fans are driven at a high rate of speed so that the air in traveling over the open hollow7 articles will draw the moist air from the articles, which air is replaced by a certain quantity of heated air in circulation passing into the articles. The air circulates freely in the interior of each article, as well as over and around the surface thereof, with the revics In Fig. 4C, another modification is illustrated, in which the lfan 4b is mounted on a vertical shaft 5b extending through the bottom 22 of the central chamber'3b. This fan is driven from a longitudinal shaft 61 through right angled gears.

In Fig. 5, still another modification is illustrated, in which there are two chambers-'- a drying chamber 2c and a heated circulating chamber 3 vat one sideof the drier. The circulating fans 4? are mounted on horizontal shafts 5 and the air is driven under thev partition 21c between the several cars 19c to the opposite side of the drying chamber where it is returned over the'hollow articles, as indicated by the arrows.

In each of the modifications shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the vertical partitions 26 are shown curved at their upper edges, which are located some distance from each side ofthe drier. These partitions tend to direct the l`circulating air inthe proper path over the hollow articles being dried.

While the drying apparatus hereinbefore described is especially designed for drying hollow articles, it will be understood that it can be used for drying other articles without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I The mechanism of the apparatus can be so regulated that the evaporation of moisture from the outside of the article will be at a rate no faster than the capillary flow of moisture through the article. This is necessary in the first'stages of drying. In the last stages of drying, the evaporation may be greater than the'rate of fiow of the moisture through the article.

I claim:

1. The combination drying apparatus l, the intermediate chamber; means for supplying moisture to the air in circulation, the lower portion of the intermediate chamber being curved so as to direct the air to each of the drying chambers; cars in the drying chambers on which the articles to be dried are mounted; partitions between the cars, the outer ends of the drying chambers being curved; and means for separating the drying chambers and the circulating chamber into independent compartments.

2. The combination in a drying apparatus, of a casing enclosing a drying chamber and a heating chamber; fans lfor circulating air through the heating chamber and the drying chamber; a seriesof cars arranged to move longitudinally in the drying chamber; partitions between the series of ca-rs; curved deflectors at one side of the drying chamber; and a curved defiector in the lower portion of the heating chamber.

3. The combination in a drying apparatus, of a casing enclosing a drying chamber and a heating chamber; a partition separating the chambers and having upper and lower passages therein; a projecting longitudinal rib in the lower portion of the heating chamber, the bottom of the chamber being curved at each side of said rib; and a 1Lf)an for circulating the air in said chamers.

4.-. The combination in a drying apparatus, of a casing enclosing two longitudinal drying chambers andv a central heating chamber separated by longitudinal. partitions having upper and ower passages f therein; heating coils in the heating chamber; a series of circulating fans, also in the heating chamber; longitudinal rails in the drying chamber; cars for the articles to be drled; defiectors in the bottom of the heating chamber; movable, transverse partitions separating the drying chambers into compartments; and 'means for controlling the temperature and humidity in the compartments.

'rHoMAs H. RHoADs. 

